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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, April 17, 2026

CONTACT: Angelo Greco | angelo@praxismulticultural.com

Grassroots Leaders Launch Nationwide Mobilization Ahead of America’s 250th Anniversary at NYC Town Hall

Coalition Announces June 27 Mass Rally and March in Washington, D.C., with Nationwide Sister Actions

Watch Announcement and Town Hall Here

New York, NY — On the evening of Thursday, April 16th, national and local leaders affiliated with the Next 250 Initiative gathered at Middle Collegiate Church in Manhattan to officially launch a coordinated nationwide mobilization tied to the 250th anniversary of the United States, anchored by a major national rally and march in Washington, D.C. on June 27.

The June 27 mobilization will bring thousands of people from across the country to the nation’s capital, with organizers establishing a national travel fund to support participants traveling by bus and other means. In addition to the Washington, D.C. action, organizers announced coordinated sister marches and rallies in cities nationwide, creating a distributed, national day of action ahead of July 4.

The New York City town hall marked the culmination of a series of convenings held in cities including Pittsburgh, Detroit, Hartford, and served as the public inflection point where organizers moved from listening and community engagement into a unified national rollout.

Led in part by former Women’s March leaders Linda Sarsour and Carmen Pérez, alongside Saru Jayaraman and a broad cross-movement coalition, the initiative brings together immigrant rights groups, racial justice advocates, labor leaders, faith organizations, and youth organizers to shape a people-driven vision for the country at a pivotal moment.

“This is about who gets to define what this country stands for as we approach 250 years,” said Linda Sarsour. “We’re building a mass movement that reflects the voices, struggles, and aspirations of everyday people across this country.”

The mobilization is grounded in the Declaration of Interdependence, a framework developed through more than 2,500 listening sessions nationwide, including communities in U.S. territories, immigrant communities, and individuals impacted by deportation. The Declaration was read publicly for the first time during the program and will serve as a guiding document for coordinated national actions in the months ahead.

Throughout the evening, speakers emphasized the need for a bottom-up, participatory approach to the anniversary, positioning the effort as a response to more centralized and top-down federal programming tied to the 250th.

The event featured a cross-movement panel discussion on building power across immigrant, labor, racial justice, and youth-led movements, with participation from leaders including Murad Awawdeh of the New York Immigration Coalition, Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari of Alliance for Quality Education, and Tamika Mallory of Until Freedom.

The program also highlighted the cultural dimension of the mobilization, with performances from the Resistance Revival Chorus, the Middle Collegiate Church Gospel Choir, Keris Lové, Mysonne the General, and The Freedom Dabke Group, as well as a live DJ set from Dr. Justis Lopez (DJ Faro). Attendees participated in public readings of “Letters to America,” sharing personal reflections on the country’s past, present, and future.

Installation artwork by labor activist Wyatt Closs, titled “We Be Going” was on display as part of a broader creative effort that will travel to cities across the country in the lead-up to June 27 and July 4 actions.

The gathering brought together a wide-ranging coalition of organizations including Alliance for Quality Education, Arab American Association of New York, Faith for Black Lives, Justice League NYC, Malikah, MPower Change, New York Immigration Coalition, One Fair Wage, Poderistas, Reform Alliance, The Gathering for Justice, Until Freedom, and others.

Organizers say the next phase of the initiative will focus on mobilizing thousands nationwide for June 27, while continuing to expand engagement and participation in communities across the country.

“The next 250 years will not be written for us — they will be written by us,” said Carmen Pérez.

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Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Press Briefing: Grassroots Leader From Across Country Will Announce Mass Mobilization Bringing Thousands Together Ahead of July 4, Anchored in Declaration of Interdependence

Press asked to RSVP HERE to attend

Featured Photo By Les Talusan Photography

Media Contact: Angelo Greco, angelo@praxismulticultural.com

New York, NY — On Thursday, April 16, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, at Middle Collegiate Church in Manhattan, national and local leaders affiliated with the Next 250 initiative will convene a major town hall and press briefing marking the final gathering before the public launch of a nationwide mobilization tied to the 250th anniversary of the United States.

At this event, organizers will announce plans for a nationwide mass mobilization that will bring thousands of people together across the country ahead of July 4, positioning grassroots voices, cultural leaders, and impacted communities at the center of how the nation marks this milestone.

The New York City event marks the culmination of a series of town halls held across the country, including recent gatherings in Pittsburgh and Hartford, and will formally kick off the countdown to coordinated national actions.

The gathering is being organized alongside a broad coalition of New York and national organizations, including Alliance for Quality Education, Arab American Association of New York, Faith for Black Lives, Justice League NYC, Malikah, MPower Change, New York Immigration Coalition, One Fair Wage, Poderistas, Reform Alliance, The Gathering for Justice, Until Freedom, and others.

Next250, a national initiative dedicated to uplifting all Americans, is grounded in a Declaration of Interdependence developed through listening sessions with more than 2,500 people across the country. The Declaration reflects a shared vision for the next 250 years centered on dignity, belonging, safety, and collective responsibility.

Organizers say the April 16 town hall will serve as both a cultural and political inflection point, bringing together artists, advocates, workers, and community leaders to define a people-centered vision for the country at a moment of deep national division and global conflict.

The gathering will also feature installation artwork on display by labor activist Wyatt Closs, titled “We Be Going,” alongside musical performances and cultural programming. On the arts and visuals side, organizers are calling on local artists and activists to contribute works as part of a broader creative mobilization that will build toward nationwide July 4 events and public actions tied to the Declaration of Interdependence.

The event will feature a cross-movement panel discussion, cultural performances, and opportunities for attendees to engage directly with and sign the Declaration of Interdependence.

As federal efforts tied to the anniversary take shape through top-down programming, Next250 organizers are positioning this mobilization as a parallel civic effort rooted in participation, storytelling, and collective action.

Event Details:

WHAT: Next250 New York Town Hall and National Mobilization Announcement

WHEN: Thursday, April 16, 2026; 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

WHERE: Middle Collegiate Church (50 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003)

WHO:

• Linda Sarsour, Next250 organizer, former Women’s March co-chair
• Carmen Pérez, Next250 organizer, former Women’s March co-chair
• Saru Jayaraman, Next250 organizer, President of One Fair Wage

Representatives and leaders from a cross-movement coalition of immigrant, racial justice, faith, and worker advocacy organizations, including:

• Alliance for Quality Education
• Arab American Association of New York
• Faith for Black Lives
• Justice League NYC
• Malikah
• MPower Change
• New York Immigration Coalition
• One Fair Wage
• Poderistas
• Reform Alliance
• The Gathering for Justice
• Until Freedom
• Next250

MEDIA RSVP: Please RSVP HERE to attend or request interviews

Visuals: large-scale town hall gathering at historic Middle Church; coalition leaders and organizers announcing national mobilization plans; speakers outlining the Declaration of Interdependence; live performances and cultural programming; audience participation and sign-on moments; visuals capturing a cross-movement coalition shaping a people-driven vision for America’s 250th anniversary.

Background: The Next 250 initiative, led nationally by organizers including Linda Sarsour, Saru Jayaraman, and Carmen Pérez, is working to shape the public conversation around the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Through the Declaration of Interdependence, organizers aim to elevate historically excluded voices and build a forward-looking civic agenda rooted in shared responsibility and democratic participation. The New York City town hall marks a key step in mobilizing communities ahead of coordinated national actions this summer.

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